Our goal today is for 5,000 personal invitations to go out to the friends and family of PF by midnight and to hit an email blast total of 10,000 personal email appeals by midnight Friday night. If you forward a message to everyone you know or send a personal message to just one person, you will help us make a difference as a group.

Consider sending a quick personal message to everyone you know encouraging them to support our PF walks. You will create awareness while asking for support of our National PF fundraiser whether people are able to give or not. Volunteers sending the WAT link to friends and family is the most effective way to generate donations (based on the "in honor of" and "in memory of" lines on our admin. accounting report).

Please email the number of people you've contacted to me or post it here in response to this alert. If you need help or a sample message, let me know, I will be available most of today to help our volunteers make this happen. If there is no walk in your area, encourage friends and family to choose the Solo Walk option and walk with us Saturday or on a later date, where ever they may be. It is never too late to make a difference.

Is one in 12 really okay? Think about how many women and babies we have lost while you read this message and consider making time to do this today. We need to stand up and make a statement for these women, babies, families and for ourselves. This can't wait. Give it your best shot! We need you.

Thanks for your help promoting the walks! Feel free to copy and edit this message and make it your own. Please remember to be respectful of the contact information of others by using either the bcc line or other measures to protect confidentiality and prevent spam for those on your contact list.

Best regards,

Kathy Maguire
Director of Volunteer Development

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Every 6 minutes a woman dies because of Preeclampsia, formerly called toxemia. We lose three women a week in the U.S. and many, many more babies. Preeclampsia complicates pregnancies as often as breast cancer occurs and is the most common known cause of prematurity. If you know a pregnant woman, be sure that she and her family know the signs and symptoms. Signs & symptoms include high blood pressure; swelling of the hands, feet or face; protein in urine; sudden weight gain; headache; changes in vision; dizziness; and/or nausea.

Jason and I sent 117 emails to family, friends, and coworkers for the WAT. We've raised $1105 as of last night, with at least 6 more donations coming in that we know of. And all those people were sent our original email with our story and links to the PF. Then a reminder was sent two weeks ago, and another update on our progress was sent on Monday. I also have shared the info with other message boards I'm on as well as info on my blog. My goal is to have every person I know to have some knowledge of PE, beyond that I had it.

It's NEVER too late to get started! Since most of the WAT's are coming up this weekend, perhaps ask your friends & family to make a donation online "in honor of" or "in memory of" you and your child(ren). Each dollar counts, and each person you contact is one more person who is aware of preeclampsia and what it can do.

I just sent out 86 emails to family, friends and state members. I encouraged in the email to foward the email on, and to support the walk-a-thon's, or participate in a solo walk a thon. Or support the PF by making a donation.

If you need help asking friends and family for support email me for a sample email to make yours. Postcards, snail mail letters and telephone calls work too. Several volunteers have reported sending postcards and adding notes to Mother's Day cards.